This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 06/874,137 filed 6/13/86 now abandoned, entitled "An Ornamental Sunglasses Retainer."
This invention pertains to an ornamental sunglasses retainer that is suitable for either sunglasses with extra large temple pieces or normal size temple pieces. In some embodiments of the invention the retainer performs the function of holding the sunglasses in any position from snugly in place to loosely around the neck. In other embodiments the retainer simply minimizes slippage as occurs from perspiration of the wearer.
All embodiments are designed for low cost manufacture and to be ornamental as well as having utility in holding sunglasses in place.
There are many different sunglasses retainers on the market but we find none of a design to accomplish all the objectives of this invention which include:
1. being an easily adjustable retainer that will hold firmly to temple pieces of sunglasses
2. being of a low cost easily manufactured design
3. being of a type particularly suited to be ornamental such as a color and design to match a bathing suit or other attire.
One preferred embodiment is manufactured from a stretchable cloth known as Spandex by making a tube on a machine known as "Spaghetti" machine. The cloth fed into the tube making machine has a resilient prepolymer composition applied in a such a manner that the continuous tube may be cut in desired length and will have the dried resilient prepolymer composition within and around the threads on one or both ends of the fabric tube after it is cut to desired length. Alternatively, the ends of the continuous tube may be treated by dipping after cutting.
A commercial product called AQUASEAL which is a polytetramethylene ether glycol prepolymer is one of a suitable group of compositions that reduces stretchability of the fabric tube and restricts the end opening while at the same time sealing the threads and increasing the slideable friction resistance. This treated end layer may be stretched into the hinge of the glasses in some embodiments of the invention so that hinge action tightly clamps the end as it constricts over the hinge joint. Preferred treatment is to dip enough of the tube end that total treated portion constricts into the hinge. Dipping puts treating material both inside and outside the tube. This significantly increases the friction and resistance to slipping over the abrupt edge of the hinged joint. Other ways to increase the holding power of the stretchable material when slipped over the temple piece while still allowing removeability would come within the spirit and purpose of the invention.
Other embodiments used with sunglasses with very large temple pieces cover about half of the temple piece and a small stretchable band such as a rubber band is used over the narrow part of the temple piece to hold the covering in place.
In yet another embodiment a colored flexible sun visor made of a foamed material is attached by stapling or glueing on each side near the treated end of the two stretchable tubes that are slipped over the sunglasses temple pieces. This foamed visor adds ornamentation and also has utility in addition to acting as a sun shade in that it may be folded and tied to the glasses to protect the lens when glasses are not in use. Further, the foamed material in the sun visor is buoyant enough that glasses will float in water.
In one embodiment both ends of the tubular retainer material is slipped through a manually releaseable plastic friction catch (friction catch U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,670 is one of a suitable group) and either end of the tubular retainer material is then slipped over the temple pieces of a pair of glasses. This will give a loop--preferably up to a foot long behind the manually releaseable friction catch. This catch may be adjusted to hold the glasses tightly to the wearer's head or to allow the glasses to be held loosely around the wearer's neck. Other embodiments will be covered in the following more detailed descriptions.
We have considered the following patents in the general area:
______________________________________ Pat. No. Inventor ______________________________________ 4,070,103 Meeker 3,526,450 Berry 3,517,415 McGrath and Otto 4,133,604 Fuller ______________________________________
The invention we have described is uniquely different in several aspects such as ease of manufacture, treated increased holding power ends, ease of adjustment, and material that will after treatment slide over and constrict into the hinge of the temple pieces but still allow the hinge to operate properly.